Canadians still have much work to do to right historic wrongs, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon said as the country commemorated the fourth annual Truth and Reconciliation Day.
“Reconciliation is a shared pursuit,” Simon said. “We all have a responsibility to take steps, collectively, to right the historic wrongs that continue to impact the present.”
On Monday Simon honoured residential school survivors at several events in Ottawa and spoke on CBC’s Ottawa Morning to describe the harmful effects of the residential school system on herself and her community.
Simon made history as the first Indigenous Governor General when she was appointed in 2021.
She grew up in the Inuit community of Kangiqsualujjuaq in northern Quebec before working as a broadcaster, civil servant and diplomat.
That career path was remarkable, given the limited opportunities afforded to her.
“We only went to school up to grade six in our community,” Simon said. “After that, all …